1993

Hello, everyone. I hope you're all enjoying spring. I appreciate the updates from you, and I'm glad to report that some have even taken me up on my New Year's challenge to write in for the first time. Keep the news coming.

Shayne Gilbert reports that she has been in Boston battling it out in the interactive industry for six years now with her consulting business, Silverweave (www.silverweave.com), which provides Internet project planning and implementation services. This year, she also launched a programs business which includes the Nantucket Conference, has been teaching graduate level Internet marketing and project management at the Graduate Center at Marlboro College and runs an association, The Cyber District. Most exciting, however, is that she has written a book, 90 Days to Launch. It is a guide to delivering online strategies on time and on budget. Shayne writes that it is not only a professional milestone but a dream come true.

Jon Walter wrote for the first time to share that he is living in Dyersburg, Tenn. (75 miles north of Memphis), where he has been president and CEO of Heckethorn Manufacturing Company, Inc., -- a $50 million supplier to the automotive industry -- for three years. In his free time, Jon made a trip to London in August to visit Peter Harrison. Pete is married with a son named Scott (2). He has started an Internet business and is "doing well." Jon also reported that Mat Lori lives in New York and has recently become a father for the first time (congrats!). He and his wife Lisa welcomed their son Zack a few months ago. Meanwhile, Mat is still working with Chase and doing well.

Another exciting news report came from David Darragh who has been in New Orleans for the last three years as director of marketing for Zatarain's, a packaged goods company specializing in New Orleans-style foods. David writes that they took the company national in 1998 and have enjoyed great success. He also claims that New Orleans has been great and over the years he's played host to Luke Parker, Mike Cadwell, Katie Lacey, and Curt Brunjes. Last February David married Edie, "a local girl from Baton Rouge." In attendance were groomsmen Luke Parker, Gerry Dorros and Mike Cadwell as well as Dale Zeh, Jeff Lime, Curt Brunjes, Jim Schneck, and Roddy Urquhart (complete with kilt!). Completing 2000 in style, David and Edie gave birth to their son, Thomas, on Dec. 14! David writes that they are well and look forward to visits from classmates.

 

David Darragh '93 and son Thomas

From the other side of the country, Dom Rispoli wrote to say he is still with Lehman Brothers in the investment banking area. In fact, he claims, "I am one of the few who has been with the same company since graduation! We have moved back and forth across the country a few times since joining Lehman, but we have now settled in San Francisco." At Lehman, Dom focuses on retail and consumer products companies. From a family standpoint, he and wife Lisa bought a house in Mill Valley about two years ago and now have a son named Corey who is 19-months-old. He is keeping them more than busy (makes investment banking look like a vacation, right?). Actually, Dom writes that Corey "is a joy and we have totally integrated him into the great outdoors (lots of family hikes and bike rides)" and he is inseparable from their Golden Retriever, Frisco.

In the Bay Area, Dom has gotten together with classmates, including Alistair Goodman and David Peak '94 as well as in New York with Eric Kahn and Brian Jennings (who recently relocated to London with Morgan Stanley).

News of other births came from Brett Jarvis, who remains in Evanston with Sawtooth Technologies. Brett and his wife Lydgia gave birth to their second child, Haylie Annette, on Brett's 36th birthday, Sept. 28. Everyone is doing great, as is Haylie's older brother Zachary (2). He sums it up by saying that "Life is wonderful!" Brett also shared that Ed Witz and his wife Stacey welcomed their second son, Jake, earlier this year. There weren't a lot of details, but Brett writes that Ed is very happy and loves his family. Congrats to all!

Finally, I want to point out that for the next few months please send your updates to my home e-mail (listed above), as I will be on a leave of absence from work and not checking the work address regularly. Take care!